Endless
by Ki-Sa-Lin
Summary: Years have passed since Kali first met the Investigation Team and, in that time, they all drifted apart. Now, after a terrible accident, Kali returns to Inaba to try to save her first love... Kanji X OC Disclaimer - I DO NOT OWN THE PERSONA FRANCHISE OR ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCS
1. Blue Light

It's dark. The cold is biting through the thick, apparently protective leather of his jacket or perhaps this painful chill was radiating out from the cold lump of slow beating muscle in his chest.

Dimly, he recognised the streams of blurred light passing him from nearly all angles. It was almost instinct when he chose to lean, turn and press on the gas. Not a thought crossed through his head, his eyes fixed ahead. Unconsciously, he shifted a gear.

The streetlights jumped in a mesmerising display off of his visor, the same patterns reflecting in his dulled blue eyes but yet he didn't react. No, his mind had been far away that night.

His bike, usually something he treasured and used properly, now seemed like an escape. An escape from what, he didn't know.

He blinked his eyes slowly, his gaze moving from side to side as if in slow motion. His empty eyes honed in on every single figure he saw. The drunks stumbling their way down the pavement, their arms slung over eachother in a desperate attempt to keep themselves upright.

 _Uninteresting._

Across the road, stood two worried women. Their phones in hand, both huddled close and sharing a jacket to keep warm. One looked up, met his eyes in the brief half-second they had before he passed them by, a hopeful glint on her face.

 _Uninteresting._

He didn't bother turning his head back to the right, his eyes unfocused, the lights and the grey of the concrete all blurring into a big smear of dullness. The brightly coloured variety of carbon copies, all determined to find their own identity and so have swept themselves up into being exactly the same as everyone else. Girls painted in all colours: blondes in a rainbow, black-haired girls similar, one in white, brunettes in blacks, red-

His head snapped back.

 _White._

Tires screeched out in fear, forcing him all too quickly back into reality. He swerved dangerously, almost scraping a black car he hadn't seen until the last second.

For some reason, despite how his heart now beat uncontrollably within his chest, he didn't stop. What was wrong with him? He hadn't drunk anything at the bar, only a soda. That girl at the bar had been insistent on buying him a drink but he had turned it down, there was no way he was drunk, surely.

Shaking his head, he pushed on. He hadn't seen anything, just another girl at a party. There were hundreds, thousands of them out here that night, just like every night. There's nothing special about that.

He blinked his strangely hazy eyes, trying to clear them. He'd be fine, he told himself. He was just tired; he'd be home in a little while. Maybe he should speed up a bit, to get there faster? Yeah, that was a good idea.

His foot slammed, a bit too hard, against the gas. The rising cry of the engines trailed behind him like a tail, startling those who he left in his dust. His heart pumped blood violently through his veins, his muscles clenching.

Another flash of white half blinded him, the heavenly colour bringing him once again a bit too close to the heavenly gates for his own liking. He should have stopped, this was getting too dangerous, but he just couldn't move his foot from the pedal.

He set his eyes forwards, sweat dripping down his brow. There was nothing there, his brain was playing cruel tricks on him and he had to fight it. It was like he was falling in and out of sleep, the peril somehow not keeping him sobered and straight.

Blue lights and screaming sirens blared behind him but he didn't notice them. He had to get home, out of this nightmare. How could his heart beat so fast but his brain function so slowly?

Blinking strongly, he dared to look up once more. Two blue lights, their intensity so powerful they cut straight through him. One vanished once again into darkness, the remaining light only growing brighter in its loneliness. He was hypnotized by its powerful glow.

A distant green light even withdrew from the power of the blue, replaced by a slightly stronger golden shade. But even that relented, replaced by the impenetrable red.

He could not lose that light, not again. He pushed the red out of his sight, sped faster towards the light of his memories. A shaky hand unclasped from the handle of his precious bike, abandoning his safety as he reached out for that ungraspable light.

Even now, as Kanji lay on the concrete, broken and mangled beside the wreckage of his long forgotten vehicle, his arm was stretched out. Even as his eyes slipped shut and he fell into a dark oblivion, his hand reached for that blue light, unseen by all others.

Unseen by the one he _needed._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Welcome back to the story of Kali and Kanji! A short chapter to open with but I did not want to overdo this part. We're in for a bumpy ride, so get yourselves ready~**

 **Oh and in case people don't know, this is a sequel to my other story 'Midnight Flower' which you will probably need in order to understand this pairing and my OCs.**

 **Thank you for reading and please leave a review!**

 **(The cover art is a piece done by MyPetTentacleMonster of my OC with Kanji, btw! I do not own it!)**


	2. An Office

**Author's Note:**

 **Ok, here we go! As you can probably tell, this is set several years after Persona 4. All of the characters are now 24/25/26. Anyway, without any further ado, please enjoy!**

* * *

"You said earlier that you were having troubles at school, have you ever spoken with your teacher about it?"

The child in the adjacent chair stared down at his fidgeting fingers, mumbling a response, "No."

"Why not?"

"I dunno… I just didn't want to," The boy murmured, his eyes unfocused and purposefully turned away from the woman on the chair. This was the fifth psychiatrist he had met with this year, he never told them his real problems and this one wouldn't be any different.

He had expected the moment of silence, the scratching of pen on paper but that didn't come, the soft voice returned without hesitation, "Would you like to ask some questions?"

The child blinked, turning to glare at her, "What's that meant to mean…?" He tried to tell himself it was just her getting frustrated, asking the rhetorical question to make him feel guilty for avoiding her questions.

Her face held no sign of that frustration he expected, however. She didn't speak again, watching him carefully with a strange warmth and empathy he couldn't quite understand. The silence continued and he realised, she really was giving him that option.

He stammered, caught off guard. His head turned back to look at the wall. The wallpaper on the office walls were dull but at the same time intriguing, the muted contrasting with the intricate patterns. Even the young woman on the other side of the room seemed like a great contrast to the room she occupied, "Why are you a therapist?"

His first question, his first move.

Interesting. Given the chance to ask any question, he avoided the most obvious one. He was still a considerate child, even with his standoffish behaviour.

The young woman smiled gently, brushing a piece of hair back out of her face, "I became a therapist because I wanted to bring children a place they could be safe, somewhere where they would be able to speak freely without the fear of being judged or hurt." She paused, placing her notebook down on the table, open and ready for him to look at.

The soft sound the book made against the wood of the table, struck the stubborn child with curiousity. He turned his head, slowly, and regarded the blank, untarnished pages. She hadn't been writing anything?

He looked up, and met the single blue eye of the young woman. He stared straight at her, seeing the youth and prettiness of her face and yet the experience and maturity that shone through her eye. When she spoke again, her smile spread into her eyes, "I want to help you find someone you can actually talk to. It doesn't matter what it is you want to discuss, I want to be there."

The sincerity in her words almost broke his barriers but his suspicion fought through and triumphed once again. He narrowed his eyes, "There is nothing wrong with me. I don't need help."

"I don't doubt that," she responded smoothly, the young boy flinched, "It's those that hurt you that need the help. You're not sick, you're not crazy. You're a child who just needs someone to connect with and trust."

He didn't respond, turning his head away again. The woman's shoulders sank, a silent sigh escaping her nose, "How about we play a game?" She suggested.

"I don't like games," He insisted, grumbling at the wall.

She smiled, "I'm sure that's not true. Besides, this game means I can learn more about you and you can learn more about me." His ear twitched, his curiousity reignited once again.

This therapist was strange, she didn't just sit there, scribbling down notes and ask 'how do you feel about that?' or 'why do you think that?' No, this woman was very different, she actually got herself personally involved with him… surely they must be told to not do that during training, right?

"Here's how it works," She continued, watching him as he processed what she was saying, "We both ask eachother questions. Only 'yes' or 'no' questions. If you don't want to answer a question, just say 'pass'. You can start; then me, then you etc. Understand?" Turning to look at her again, he seemed undecided. Yet, as if an automatic response, he nodded.

She smiled, gesturing with her hand for him to ask a question. He didn't say anything at first; visibly struggling over finding a question he could ask that wouldn't require a more detailed answer. Why was he thinking so much over this? He questioned himself, shaking his head to clear it and pulled out a question, "Do you think you can get me to talk?"

She smiled, answering confidently, "Yes." He almost rolled his eyes, of course that would be the answer, it always was. She leant forward in her seat, her shiny black flats reflecting the soft light of the lamp on the desk as she crossed her legs, "Do you like sports?"

What sort of question was that? He shook his head, scoffing, "No," Now for his question, there was something he wanted to ask, but how could he ask it in a way that could only be answered by a 'yes' or 'no'? This game was already getting difficult… he kinda liked it. Finally he picked another question, "Are you new at this?"

Her response started with a little laugh, one that said 'is it that obvious?', "Yes," But, again, she did not elaborate. Such were the rules of the game. As if she already had all of her questions pre-planned, she seamlessly went into her next question, "Do your parents hurt you?"

He jumped back, his face contorting into horror and disgust, how could she even say that about her family? She didn't know them, how dare she?! He shook his head violently, "No!" He snapped. Ok, that was it, no more holding back, he decided, "Is your eye gone?"

His reaction told her he was being truthful; there wasn't any hesitation or hint of fear in his face. She could reel it in again. His question though made her smile, if a little sadly, "Yes." When at work, she kept her hair tied back into a soft ponytail; a few locks of hair left free to frame her face but no longer covered her closed eye like the thick fringe of her teenage years did. "Are you happy?"

Another weird question, but when he went to answer it… he just couldn't. He wasn't truly happy nor was he totally unhappy. He bit his lip, closing his eyes, "Pass." He sighed, "Can't we stop this now?"

She tilted her head to the side, the pose slightly reminiscent of a curious bird, "One more question each, and then we can stop, sound fair?"

"Thought they were meant to be 'yes' or 'no' answers…" He grumbled, glaring when she smiled in response. "Fine," He snapped, setting his eyes on her, intent on intimidating her into caving in, like all the others had.

"If you didn't get those bruises from sports, your family… did they come from your classmates?"

He growled, she was still going on about this. He shook his head violently. This was it, the final question. He had to make it a good one, something that would cut into her, "Do you have _any_ friends?"

She blinked slowly, her smile remaining consistent. Looking straight at him, she softly answered, "No."

The silence was palpable. He stared at the young woman, a person he thought would have lots of friends. So, what was different?

Interrupting his thoughts, she announced, "Well, Hiroki, that's all the time we have for today." Her tone was professional yet somehow still casual. She stood from her chair, and he felt compelled to do the same. She picked up a little piece of paper from her table, handing it to him, "I have a phone number I give to all of my patients. You don't have to use it and I will never call you without your permission. Just, if you ever need to talk about anything, any time of day, I'll be there to talk."

He took the card, glancing over it, ' _Akiyama, Kalina – Child Psychotherapist'_ , her number was written beneath. Part of his brain told him to throw it away, tear it up in her face and prove to her, once and for all, he didn't need her or anyone else, but he didn't do any of those things. With a slight nod, he tucked it away in his jacket pocket. It's not like he'd ever use it or anything… but he kept it all the same.

Walking over to the door, he prepared to leave. Yet, something possessed him to stop and say something. His cheeks began to burn, his lips pressing into an uncomfortable pout and he mumbled, "Thanks… Dr-"

"Kali is fine," She smiled, bowing respectfully, "Your parents should be downstairs, have a good night." And with that, he was gone.

The door creaked as it slowly forced itself closed once again, the beam of light shining through getting strangled by the darkness within. When it finally clicked closed, she slumped down into her chair.

What was wrong with her? This was all part of the job, patients test you, she knew that all too well. But… that question he gave her. Why had the answer hit her so harshly? She rubbed her forehead slowly, she had workmates, former classmates, people she'd go out shopping or out to dinner with… but could she really not see _any_ of them as friends?

Shaking her head, Kali took her book from the table and began to write. Hiroki Kazekawa had been to see several psychotherapists over the last few years; each one had been unable to get him to open up. While Kali had not been informed as to the reasons why she was chosen as the next one, she had her suspicions that it was due to how all of the previous psychotherapists had been older men. Perhaps they thought that having a young woman for him to speak to, would be enough of a change.

Sighing, she looked over the previous notes of his condition. He was only eleven years old and had been previously considered a child prodigy, yet in more recent years his school attendance and grades had been suffering. His parents had noticed bruises around his neck, wrists, ankles and on various other places of his body. His family had already been investigated for child abuse but no proof had been discovered. Whatever was happening, Kali knew it was happening within the school. A chilling reminder of her own loss of innocence.

Riding on the train back to her home in the suburbs of Osaka, she continued writing down all that she had seen. He was an intelligent child, he hated being talked down to. He liked to be tested. She hated using such direct questions, especially as that was not what she was taught to do, but she saw how he responded. He needed to feel passionate, he needed to feel a need to take charge of the situation. She desperately wanted to help this boy, she needed to.

Finally, she lifted her head from her book. She was still miles away from home. Sighing, she rested her head back against the headrest and looked around. Everyone was isolated, all gravitating into different corners of the train. Everyone in their own little bubble. She usually enjoyed isolation as it allowed her to focus on her work… but when she had no more work to do, the emptiness returned. And whenever the emptiness returned, the thoughts of home filled it.

She had left Inaba when she was 18, off to university in a distant city. She studied hard and really did try to keep in contact with everyone, but one by one, they all disappeared from her world. All except _him_.

No, she wouldn't think of him. It hurt too much to remember. She turned and looked out of the window, trying to force his face out of her mind.

First love is a powerful thing. Though when it lingers long after the relationship should have died, it becomes torture.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, there we have it. Kali's return and the introduction of young Hiroki. Please bare in mind that I am not a psychologist of any sort, I do not know their methods and anything that Kali does is based entirely on films and television shows, as lame as that is. I just felt that her character needed to have pursued that career in order for her childhood to mean something.**

 **Now, the bigger questions shall begin to emerge...**

 **Please do leave a review if you like it and thank you for reading!**


	3. Photos

**Author's Note:  
**

 **Ah, I can't wait until the introductions are all complete and I can get to the good bits, but such is the life of a writer!**

 **Anyway, please enjoy and, if you could, please leave a review!**

* * *

The apartment block was quiet, just like it always was. She didn't live with a bunch of partying university students, or really anyone with any intention of being sociable. Most days, it didn't bother her, but now the silence was just asking to be broken.

Sitting at her desk, she dimly observed the shelves filled to the brim with psychological studies, old books from university, various pieces of fiction she had never gotten around to reading. Everything was busy but not busy enough. Ice crept around the rim of her window, the cold very much unappreciated ever since the Christmas season had ended. Now wrapped in a blanket, she dimly flipped through the pages of yet another study. She had been waiting for that study for months; she should have found it interesting but…

 _Do you have any friends?_

God, that question just wouldn't leave her mind. Thinking back on it, yes she could have tried harder to stay in contact with everyone but… even they began to drift away from her. It wasn't her fault that now she was without them. That now she was alone.

Shaking her head, she slammed the book shut and placed it back onto the shelf. Let's change that, she decided, grabbing her laptop from her bag and placed it upon her now clear desk. Opening it up, she logged on and opened the internet. A clear plan in mind, she opened the first social networking site she could think of and started searching. One by one, their names began to appear. Yosuke, Rise, Yukiko, Chie, Yu… they were all there. Naoto wasn't but that hardly surprised Kali, the young detective never seemed to be the sort to have taken part in such things.

However, she realised, she couldn't base her expectations on what they used to be. It had been a long time since she had even seen them and looking over their profile photos now was a surreal experience, it was like looking at totally different people. She had missed a lot.

She laughed softly when she came across Chie's page, some things never change. There she was, her arm looped around Yukiko's shoulders in a protective gesture of fierce friendship. Both looked older, even if only a little bit. Chie's hair was a little cleaner cut than it had been the last she had seen her, but it was still short. Yukiko, ever the elegant one, had her hair tied up in a bun, her pale skin and simple smile made Kali jealous. In that sort of friendly envious way, anyway. She hadn't felt beautiful for a long time.

Yosuke looked as shaggy as ever, his career likely secure due to his father's position. Still, she could hardly judge. Akiyama had helped her a lot in meeting potential employers and, even though she still worked for her position, she was thankful for his assistance. Rise was still glamourous, but Kali hadn't seen her on the television since her teenage years. Likely, a case of falling from fame but at least it appeared she was doing it gracefully.

Surprisingly, it appeared that everyone was still living in Inaba. Hell, even Yu had moved there since she had left. Seems she had been the only one to actually leave… There was that guilt again. She felt she had abandoned them in pursuit of her own career, a selfish move that they'd probably not forgive anytime soon.

Even then, it was worth a try. With everyone's profiles lined up, she went through each of them and added each of them as a 'friend'. It was strange how something so superficial and empty could be considered 'friendship' on this sort of site. Her criticisms meant little compared to her true fears, however – would they even want her as a friend anymore?

She stared at the screen for a few minutes, eagerly awaiting a response before taking a glance at the time. Oh, it was two in the morning… very unlikely that anyone would respond at this hour. With a soft sigh, she resigned herself to a likely sleepless night and closed down her laptop.

… Now what do with herself?

Cook? No, she wasn't hungry enough to justify the effort.

Read? She'd already tried that, it was unlikely to be a productive task when she was in this state of mind.

Stare at her phone and mindlessly scroll through countless videos, websites and pictures? Sounds great.

Reaching once again into her bag, she pulled out her phone. Quite different from her old flip phone, now she had a touch screen piece of tech, no real sign of personality on its surface. Any trace of her personality remained hidden inside of it, protected by a 4 digit code she breezed through without thought each time.

This time though, an alert on the screen caught her attention. Or more… alerts. Missed calls and texts, at least a dozen of them listed down the screen. All of them from her dad, Akiyama.

Immediately panic rose up inside of her. She had no time to check the texts; she just had to call back quickly. Hoping to God that whatever was happening wasn't too bad… but that would be a vain hope with the urgency of Akiyama's calls.

The silence before the ringing began was seemingly endless, but then it all happened too quickly. Not even one ring had passed before the phone was picked up, " _Kali?!"_ came the distressed voice over the phone. It was definitely Akiyama.

"Dad? What's wrong? I'm sorry I couldn't answer earlier, I had my phone on si-"

" _That doesn't matter! Kali- Kali this is… Oh God, I don't know how I'm meant to tell you this…"_ His voice became muffled and she could visualise him covering his face with his hands.

A thousand possibilities whirled through her head, each of them worse than the last, "What is it?" She urged, her voice surprisingly quiet.

" _It's Kanji…"_ Her heart dropped, " _He's been in an accident._ "

He couldn't find her voice. She wanted to scream but she couldn't move. She made a quick audible gasp, tiny noises of pure horror escaping in short bursts.

" _He's alive, but only just. His mother called me and… his injuries are so severe, he's in a coma, Kali."_ He could hear her short breaths over the phone and his voice adopted an almost panicked tone himself, except his being one of concern. He had always hated seeing her upset but knew he could hardly avoid this sort of reaction.

She was totally unable to speak. She closed her eye, trying to force herself to breathe but every breath caught painfully in her throat.

Akiyama continued speaking at her, " _Kanji's mother wanted you to go and visit him… Would you be able to do that?"_

"Yes," She choked out quickly, not another moment of thought was required. Her job was very important, yes. But every client she already possessed had her phone number, she could just… call in and tell them there has been an emergency.

Her dad sighed softly, " _I'll leave to come and get you, now."_

She gasped, "What…? No, I could just get a train or-"

" _It's not fast enough. I'll be there in a few hours, get yourself packed. I'll call your work and explain. Just sit tight, I'll be there soon."_ He hung up and left her alone once again.

She sat there for hours, her head bent down and her single eye wide in silent shock. Her phone rested on her lap, forgotten.

It wasn't until dawn that she finally moved, moving robotically to pack clothes and other daily necessities into a travel case. After an uncertain amount of time, the door to her flat opened.

There, in the light of the doorway, stood Akiyama. Her spare key still gripped in his hand and a look of pure worry on his face. Seeing him there, looking like a knight in shining armour, she broke.

Sinking to her knees, she broke down into floods of endless tears. She vaguely registered the feeling of his warm, strong arms wrapping around her to pull her into the warmth of his fatherly embrace. She heard his gentle hushes, his reassurance but none of it truly registered in her distraught mind.

Knowing that time was of the essence, he carefully guided her onto her feet. Grabbing the blanket that had earlier been discarded on the floor, he wrapped it around her shoulders before picking up her travel case and guiding her out of the flat, locking it behind them.

"Come on, sweetheart… Let's get you home."

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **I'd be lying if I said that part of me didn't start this sequel just to write Akiyama again... I love him too much to let him go. This chapter may not have shown a huge amount of him but, do not fear, he shall return! We shall also soon discover why the two parted when they clearly didn't fall out of love with each other... but I have already said too much~!**

 **See you guys next time!**

 **Please leave a review!**


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